Digging tool



May 20, 1941 F. H. PHILBRICK 2,242,793

DIGGING TOOL iled Oct. 9. 1939 Patented May 29, 1941 v rarer recs DIGGKNG TQGL Frank H. Philbrick, Evanston, Ill.

Application October 9, 1939, Serial No. 298,528 3 Claims. (01. 262-8 The present invention relates generally to dig ging tools. More particularly the invention relates to those tools which are designed primarily for use with an apparatus for digging and removing ballast from the spaces between the ties of a railroad track.

In a ballast digging apparatus it has hereto fore been customary to employ as digging tools elongated arms with hardened steel ballast engaging shoes bolted to the lower ends thereof. In practice it has been found that digging tools of such character although they fulfill their intended purpose are objectionable or in a measure defective because in the first place the shoes often become loose and have to be tightened with resultant loss of time due to the necessity of stopping the apparatus, and secondly, in some instances extreme difficulty is encountered in removing the shoes when it is necessary to replace them due to wear.

One object of the invention is to improve the performance or operation of a ballast digging apparatus of the type under consideration by providing digging tools the shoes of which are so connected to the lower ends of the arms that they cannot become loose during use of the apparatus and in addition may be readily and quickly removed from the arms in connection with replacement thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide ballast digging apparatus tools of the last mentioned character in which the connections be tween the shoes and arms comprise tapered shanks on the lower ends of the arms and correspondingly tapered shank receiving sockets in the shoes and in addition comprise or embody wedges and wedge retaining keys which extend through cross slots in the shanks and registering cross slots in the socket equipped portions of the shoes for releasably looking or securing the shoes in place with respect to the arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide digging tools of the aforementioned type in which the wedges and wedge retaining keys by which the shoes are locked in place with respect to the arms are of such size and design that the ends thereof are disposed within the cross slots in the socket equipped portions of the shoes and hence are not likely during operation of the apparatus to encounter ballast or other material which might dislodge them.

A still further object of the invention is to provide digging tools which are generally of new and improved construction and have certain advantages over those which are shown in the ballast digging apparatus forming the subject matter of United States Letters Patent No. 2,082,594, granted to me June 1, 1937.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present digging tools will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a vertical transverse section of a ballast digging apparatus having digging tools embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the lower end of one of the outer digging tools, illustrating in detail the construction and design of the shoe thereof and showing the manner in which the shoe is releasably connected or secured to the arm;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure J 2; and.

Figure 4 is a perspective of the lower end of one of the inner digging tools.

The invention is shown by way of example in connection with a ballast digging apparatus. The'latter (see Figure 1) is illustrated with a conventional or standard railroad track compris ing a series of laterally spaced ties t, a pair of rails 7 on the ties and ballast 1) between the ties, and serves, as hereinafter pointed out, to dig and remove the ballast b from the spaces between the ties t. In general the apparatus comprises a truck 5, a vertical reciprocable crosshead 6, power driven mechanism 1 for effecting reciprocation of the crosshead, a series of four digging tools 8 and a series of four digging tools 9 and, with the exception of the digging tools, is the same in design as the ballast digging apparatus which is shown in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,982,594.

Thetruclr 5 embo ies four or role flanged wheels (not shown) whereby it is permitted to travel on the rails r and is provided with suitable engine driven means (also not shown) for propelling it along the rails in either direction. On one end thereof the truck 5 is provided with an upstanding transversely extending guide frame Hi. This frame is vertically movable with respect to the truck and embodies at the lower end thereof a pair of laterally spaced flanged shoes II. The latter are adapted to grip the rails r,

as shown in Figure 1, when the guide frame I is lowered in order to place the apparatus in readiness for a ballast digging operation. At the conclusion of the ballast digging operation or when it is desirable to propel the truck along the rails r of the track the guide frame I0 is raised in order to elevate the shoes II with respect to the rails. The crosshead 6 extends transversely of the truck and is guided by the frame I0" so that it is vertically reciprocable. It is adapted when the truck is at rest to be repeatedly raised and then dropped by the mechanism I in order to cause the digging tools 8 and 9 to perform their function of digging and removing the ballast therebeneath. The mechanism I includes a pair of vertically extending, laterally spaced, engine driven endless chains I2 and these embody a pair of laterally projecting lifting rollers which during drive of the chains, are adapted to raise the crosshead and then let the latter drop. For a more complete understanding of the design, arrangement and operation of the truck, crosshead and crosshead reciprocating mechanism reference may be had to said Patent No. 2,082,594.

The four digging tools 8 extend downwardly and outwardly in one direction, as shown in Figure 1, and are adapted to dig the subjacent ballast to remove it to one side of the truck 5. They comprise elongated arms I3 and digging or ballast engaging shoes I4. The upper ends of the arms I3 are pivotally connected by pins I5 to the central portion of the crosshead 6. The pins I5 are so arranged or positioned that the digging tools 8 are permitted to swing transversely of the truck. The innermost tool 8 is provided at the upper end of the arm I3 thereof with an upstanding extension I6. This extension carries at the upper end thereof a roller H which is adapted to ride or travel along a cam type bracket I8. The bracket is so arranged that when the crosshead 6 is dropped it operates through the medium of the roller I1 and the extension I6 to swing outwards the innermost tool 8. Co-acting pairs of rounded lugs I 9 extend between the digging tools 8 and serve so to connect the tools that they swing outwards and inwards together. When the crosshead 6 is raised by the mechanism 1 in connection with the operation of the apparatus the digging tools 8 swing inwards in response to the action of gravity. When the crosshead drops the shoes I4 of the tools engage the subjacent ballast, as shown in Figure 1, and in response to outward swinging of the arms I3 dig into the ballast and urge the latter outward. The shoes I4 of the digging tools 8 are located at the lower ends of the arms I3. They are formed of hardened steel or other suitable wear-resisting metal and extend downwardly and outwardly, as shown in Figure 2. The upper or inner ends of the shoes I4 have longitudinally extending open ended sockets 28. These sockets taper from their outer to their inner ends and are rectangular in cross section. The lower ends of the arms I3 of the tools 8 are shaped to form longitudinally extending integral shanks 2| which, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, fit within and are tapered correspondingly to the sockets 2D in the inner or upper ends of the shoes I4. The shoes are releasably held in fixed relation with the arms I3 by means of wedges 22 and wedge retaining keys 23. The wedges 22 fit within and extend longitudinally through transverse slots 24 in the inner or root portions of the shanks 2| and cross slots 25 in the inner ends of the shoes I4. The cross slots 25 extend horizontally and intersect or project through the sides of the shoes. They are of uniform width from end to end and are of slightly greater width than the slots 24 in the tapered shanks. When the shoes I4 are in place on the shanks 2|, the cross slots 25 register with the slots 24, as shown in Figure 3. The outer faces of the wedges are angularly disposed and the portions of the shanks which define the outer faces of the slots 24 are correspondingly angularly disposed with the result that when the wedges are in place within the slots 24 and the cross slots 25 and are driven in the direction of the small ends the shoes I4 are urged towards the arms I3 of the digging tools 8 and thus are jammed or clamped in fixed relation with the arms. The wedge retaining keys 23 are formed of comparatively soft metal and are disposed between the outer angularly disposed faces of the wedges 22 and the adjacent face portions of the slots 24. The inner ends of the keys 23 are bent outwardly at right angles into lapped relation with the contiguous portions of the outer ends of the shanks in order to hold the keys against longitudinal movement in one direction. The outer ends of the keys are adapted, after the wedges 22 have been driven in place, to be bent inwardly into lapped relation with the large ends of the wedges in order to hold the wedges in place and prevent longitudinal movement of the keys in the opposite direction. When the shoes I4 of the digging tools 8 become worn and the operator desires to replace them it is only necessary to bend outwards the outer ends of the wedge retaining keys 23, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, and then to drive the wedges 22 from the slots 24 and the cross slots 25. After driving of the wedges 22 from the aforementioned slots the keys 23 are then removed in order completely to free the shoes I4 for removal from the shanks 2|. When it is desired to connect the shoes I4 to the arms the inner ends of the shoes are first aligned with the lower ends of the arms. Then the shoes are shifted inwards and upwards in order to bring the tapered shanks 2I into seated relation with the correspondingly tapered sockets 20. After so manipulating the shoes the keys 23 are placed against the outer faces of the slots 24 in the shanks and are so manipulated as to bring the inner bent ends into lapped relation with the shanks. Thereafter the wedges 22 are inserted into place and are driven inwards in order to wedge the shoes into fixed relation with the arms. After the wedges 22 have been driven inwards as far as possible the outer ends of the keys 23 are bent inwards in order to lock the wedges against withdrawal. When the wedges 22 and the keys 23 are in place the shoes I4 of the digging tools 8 are so fixedly connected to the arms I3 that they cannot become loose with respect to the arms. As a result of the specific form or type of connections between the shoes I4 and the arms I3 the shoes may be readily and quickly removed from the arms when it is necessary to replace them as a result of wear. The shoe of the innermost digging tool 8 differs from the shoes on the other three tools 8 in that the outer or lower end thereof includes an extension 26. The latter extends at right angles and serves to push the ballast outwards during reciprocation of the crosshead 6. The shoes on the three digging tools 8 that are outwards of the innermost digging tool 8 have pointed outer or lower ends for digging purposes. The outermost digging tool 8 extends over the adjacent track rail r and serves to di and urge outwards the ballast that is disposed downwardly of such rail. The ends of the wedges 22 and the wedge retaining keys 23 terminate inwardly of the end extremities of the cross slots 25 and hence they are protected against contact with, and resultant loosening by, the ballast during operation of the apparatus.

The digging tools 9 are positioned in lapped relation with the tools 8. They extend downwardly and outwardly in the opposite direction and comprise elongated arms 2: and hardened steel shoes 28. The upper ends of the arms 2'! are pivotally mounted on the pins 15 so that the tools 9 are permitted to swing outwards and inwards transversely of the truck 5. The arm 2'! of the innermost tool 9 embodies an upstanding extension 28 and this extension has a roller 30 which so co-acts with a cam type bracket 3| on the truck that the innermost tool 9 together with the other three tools are caused to swing outwards and inwards in unison. The tools 9 are exactly the same in size and shape as the tools 8 and operate to dig and shift outwardly the ballast at the other side of the truck. The shoes 28 are connected to the lower ends of the arms 2'! by shank and socket connections and wedges and wedge retaining keys in the same manner as the shoes M are connected to the lower ends of the arms l3. The shoe of the innermost tool 9 has a lateral extension 32 corresponding to the extension 26 and the outermost tool 9 extends over the subjacent track r, as shown in Figure 1.

When the crosshead 6 is dropped in connection with the operation of the apparatus the digging tools are first impacted against the subjacent ballast and then the tools 8 are caused to move outwards in one direction and the tools 9 are caused to move outwards in the opposite direction so as to move the ballast outwards of the two rails r. r

The herein described digging tools are extremely efiicient due to the fact that the connections between the shoes and arms thereof are so designed that the shoes cannot become loose during operation and may be readily removed from the arms when it is necessary to replace them because of wear.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A digging or impact tool comprising an arm provided at one end thereof with a tapered shank having a transversely extending slot in the root portion thereof, a shoe of wear resisting material located at said one end of the arm and provided with a tapered socket for the shank and a cross slot extending through the socket defining portion thereof and in registry with the slot in said shank, a wedge extending through said slot and cross slot and serving releasably to hold the shoe in fixed relation with the arm, and a soft metal Wedge retaining key fitting between the wedge and one of the walls of the slot and having the end thereof that is adjacent the small end of the wedge bent into lapped relation with the shank and its other end bent into lapped relation with the large end of the wedge.

2. A digging or impact tool comprising an arm provided at one end thereof with a tapered shank having a transversely extending wedge shaped slot in the root portion thereof, a shoe of wear resisting material located at said one end of the arm and provided with a tapered socket for the shank and a cross slot extending through the socket defining portion thereof and in registry with the slot, a wedge for releasably holding the shoe in fixed relation with the arm extending through said slot and cross slot and having the ends thereof terminating inwardly of the end extremities of said cross slot, and a soft metal wedge retaining key fitting between the wedge and one of the walls of the slot and having the end thereof that is adjacent the small end of the wedge bent into lapped relation with the shank and its other end bent into lapped relation with the large end of the wedge.

3. A digging or impact tool comprising an arm provided at one end thereof with a tapered shank having a transversely extending wedge shaped slot in the root portion thereof, a shoe of wear resisting material located at said one end of the arm and provided with a tapered socket for the shank and a cross slot of uniform width from end to end extending through the socket defining portion thereof and in registry with the slot in the shank, a wedge for releasably holding the shoe in fixed relation with the arm extending through said slot and cross slot and having the ends thereof terminating inwardly of the end extremities of said cross slot, and a wedge retaining key of comparatively soft material fitting between the Wedge and one of the walls of the slot and having the end thereof that is adjacent the small end of the wedge bent into lapped relation with the shank and disposed inwardly of the extremity of the adjacent end of the cross slot and its other end bent into lapped relation with the large end of the wedge and disposed inwardly of the extremity of the adjacent end of said cross slot.

FRANK H. PHILBRICK. 

